accūsātor — Lewis & Short
accūsātor, ōris, m.id., orig.
I one who calls another to account; hence, transferred to public life, an accuser, a plaintiff, esp. in a state-offence (while petitor signifies a plaintiff in private causes; yet accusator is often used for every kind of accuser, and then includes the petitor, v. accuso no. II. A.).
I In gen. (very freq.):
accusatorem pro omni actore et petitore appello,Cic. Part. Or. 32, 110:
possumus petitoris personam capere, accusatoris deponere?id. Quint. 13 fin.; cf. Quint. 6, 1, 36:
accusatores multos esse in civitate utile est, ut metu contineatur audacia,Cic. Rosc. Am. 20:
acres atque acerbi,id. Brut. 36:
vehemens et molestus,id. ib. 34 fin.:
graves, voluntarii,id. Leg. 3, 20, 47:
firmus verusque,id. Div. in Caecil. 9, 29 al.:
eundem accusatorem capitis sui ac judicem esse,Liv. 8, 32, 9:
ita ille imprudens ipse suus fuit accusator,Nep. Lys. 4, 3:
graviter eos accusat quod, etc.,Caes. B. G. 1, 16, 5:
accusatores tui,Vulg. Act. 23, 35; 25, 18 al.—
II Esp., in silv. age, an informer, a denouncer (= delator):
accusatorum denuntiationes,Suet. Aug. 66; so Juv. 1, 161.